Salisbury is a historic town that was first frequented by paleo-indians and Native-Americans for thousands of years and eventually settled by English colonists in the 17th century. The beach and salt marsh itself was used primarily as hunting and fishing grounds by the Native Americans and then as pastureland for…| Salisbury Beach Mass
Salisbury is a historic Massachusetts town in Essex county near the New Hampshire border. It is the northernmost town in Massachusetts and was settled by Massachusetts Bay colonists in the early 17th century. Before the colonists settled there, Salisbury was the home of the Pennacook tribe of Native Americans. It…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Witch Museum is a popular attraction in Salem that discusses the history of the Salem Witch Trials. I first visited this museum about 10 years ago or so and recently decided to visit it again to write a review and see if they changed anything. (Disclaimer: This post…| History of Massachusetts Blog
In 1950, Salem resident John Beresford Hatch began a crusade to convince the British government to clear the names of the convicted Salem Witch Trials victims. Hatch first became interested in the Salem Witch Trials when he met Alfred Putnam Goodell, historian and owner of the Old Witch Jail and…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Sarah Good was one of the first women to be accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Good was the wife of William Good and, at the time of the Salem witch hysteria, was a poor, pregnant beggar who would often wander door to door in Salem…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay between 1692 and 1693. Historians believe the accused witches were victims of mob mentality, mass hysteria, and scapegoating. The Salem Witch Trials began in January of 1692, after a group of girls began behaving strangely and…| History of Massachusetts Blog
John Hathorne was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials and the great-great-grandfather of author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hathorne was born in Salem on August 5, 1641, to William Hathorne and Anne Smith. He was the fifth of nine children. His father, William, was a local judge who came to the…| History of Massachusetts Blog
If you're interested in learning more about the Salem Witch Trials, you may want to read one of the many books published on the topic. Hundreds of books have been written about the Salem Witch Trials since they first took place in 1692. This is despite the fact that in…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Crucible is a play about the Salem Witch Trials written by Arthur Miller. The play debuted on Broadway in January of 1953 and has since become an American classic. Although the play is based on the Salem Witch Trials, it was intended to be an allegory for the Red…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Elizabeth Proctor, wife of Salem Village farmer John Proctor, was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The Proctors were a wealthy family who lived on a large rented farm on the outskirts of Salem Village, in what is now modern-day Peabody, Massachusetts. Elizabeth, Proctor's third wife,…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Witch Trials Memorial is a memorial in Salem, Massachusetts, dedicated to the victims of the Salem Witch Trials. The memorial consists of 20 granite benches surrounded by a low stone wall. The stone slabs in the entryway to the memorial are inscribed with the victim's protests, which were taken…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Witch Jail, also known as the Essex County Jail, was a county jail where some of the accused witches were kept during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The building was located on what is now the corner of St. Peter Street and Federal Street in Salem, Mass.…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Witch House, also known as the Jonathan Corwin House, is a historic First-Period house on Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts. It was the home of Salem Witch Judge Jonathan Corwin and is the only structure open to the public in Salem with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials.…| History of Massachusetts Blog
William Stoughton was a colonial magistrate for the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Chief Magistrate of Court of Oyer and Terminer during the Salem Witch Trials. Early Life: William Stoughton was born in 1631 to Israel and Elizabeth (Knight) Stoughton. It is not known if Stoughton was born in England…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Dominion of New England was a merging of British colonies in New England in the 17th century. The Dominion was formed in 1686 and merged the colonies of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island together into one large colony. In 1688, the Dominion was expanded to include New…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Samuel Sewall was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials and the only judge to apologize for his role in the trials. Sewall was born in Bishopstoke, England on March 28, 1652. His family had previously lived in the settlement of Newbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony but temporarily returned…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Witch Trials judges were several men who served as judges during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. On May 27, 1692, Sir William Phips appointed nine of the colony's magistrates to serve as judges on the newly created Court of Oyer and Terminer. The court was created specifically…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Witch Trials accusers were a group of people who accused the Salem Witch Trials victims of witchcraft in 1692. The main accusers were a group of girls and young women from Salem Village who are often referred to as the “afflicted girls” because they claimed that witches were…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Reverend John Hale was a minister from Beverly, Massachusetts, best known for his role in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Born in Charlestown in 1636 to local blacksmith Robert Hale, as a child Hale witnessed Massachusetts' first execution of a convicted witch, in 1648, with the hanging of Margaret…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Established in 1637, the Old Burying Point Cemetery, also known as the Charter Street Cemetery, is the oldest cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts. It is one of eight historic cemeteries in Salem and is a stop on the Salem Heritage Trail. The cemetery is 1.47 acres in size and contains 700…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Jonathan Corwin was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. He was also Judge John Hathorne's brother-in-law and Sheriff George Corwin's uncle. The Corwin Family: Jonathan Corwin was born on November 14, 1640, in Salem, Massachusetts, to Captain George Corwin and Elizabeth Herbert. The Corwins (or Curwen, as…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Captain John Alden Jr, the son of Mayflower pilgrim John Alden, was a merchant from Boston who was accused of witchcraft by a local child during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Alden had stopped at Salem in May on his way home from Quebec, where he had arranged the…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Salem, Mass is a historic town with many historic sites. The city's history spans centuries and visiting these historic sites is a great way to experience Salem's history first hand. The majority of these sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and their history is well documented…| History of Massachusetts Blog
If you want to learn more about American history you have countless books to choose from. The problem is that most American history books focus on just a few topics, such as the American Revolution and the Civil War, while ignoring other topics that also helped shape American culture. I've…| History of Massachusetts Blog
King William's War, also known as the Second Indian War and the First French and Indian War, was an armed conflict between England and France in North America in the 17th century. The war was a battle over control of North America, particularly over the fur trade in North America.…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Salutary neglect was an unofficial British policy in the colonies that greatly affected Massachusetts in the 18th century. The policy was an intentional lack of enforcement by the British government of British trade laws in the American colonies. The phrase salutary neglect itself comes from a speech given by Edmund…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Rebecca Nurse was a 71-year-old grandmother and wife of a local artisan when she was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Nurse was also the sister of accused witches Mary Easty and Sarah Cloyce and the daughter of suspected witch Joanna Blessing Towne. Born in Yarmouth, England in…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Rebecca Nurse was such a beloved citizen of Salem Village that when she was arrested for witchcraft in March of 1692, thirty-nine Salem residents came to her defense and signed a petition asking to set her free. The actions of her friends and family were remarkable because, in signing the…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The William Murray House is a First Period house in Salem, Massachusetts. Built in 1688, the house was constructed for William Murray, who was a cooper and a court clerk in the Salem Witch Trials, and he also provided testimony against Alice Parker. The makes the house one of only…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Tituba was a slave who worked for Samuel Parris during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The various documents and books about the Salem Witch Trials over the years often refer to Tituba as Black or mixed race, but the actual court documents from her trial refer to her as…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Salem Village was a farming community on the northern edge of Salem Town during the 17th century. It is famous for being the place where the Salem Witch Trials first began in 1692. The village is now a historic district within the town of Danvers, Massachusetts. The area was originally…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Reverend Samuel Parris was the minister at Salem Village during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Samuel Parris was born in London, England, in 1653. In the late 1650s, his father, Thomas Parris, moved his entire family to a sugar plantation that he had purchased in Barbados. Samuel Parris' Early…| History of Massachusetts Blog
George Burroughs was a minister who was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. George Burroughs Childhood and Early Life: Burroughs was born in Suffolk, England in 1652 and migrated to the settlement of Roxbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his mother when he was a…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Danvers is a historic town in Massachusetts. Located in Essex county, Danvers was originally a part of Salem when it was settled in the 17th century. Known as Salem Village, it was a rural farming village with a relatively small population. Danvers eventually separated from Salem in the 18th century…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Elizabeth “Betty” Parris was the first afflicted girl and one of the main accusers during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Born in Boston on November 28, 1682, Betty moved to Salem with her family and slave Tituba in November of 1689 when her father, Samuel Parris, was appointed the…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Abigail Williams was one of the first afflicted girls in the Salem Witch Trials. Despite the fact that she was one of the main accusers during the Salem Witch Trials, not much is known about Abigail Williams before or even after the trials ended. What historians do know is that…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Samuel Holten House is a historic house in Danvers, Massachusetts, with connections to the Salem Witch Trials. The house was once home to Sarah Holten, who testified against Rebecca Nurse in the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The Samuel Holten House, also known as the Benjamin Holten House, was…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Danvers, Massachusetts is a small historic town that is home to many historic sites. Most of these sites are related to Salem Village, which was located in Danvers in the 17th century, and the Salem Witch Trials, but some are also related to the Revolutionary War and the Industrial Revolution.…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Village meetinghouse was located near the corner of Hobart and Forest Streets in Danvers, Massachusetts. Originally built in 1672, the meetinghouse served as a place of worship and a general gathering place for civil and military matters. The land for the meetinghouse was donated by Joseph Hutchinson, who…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Ingersoll’s Tavern, also known as Ingersoll's Ordinary, is a historic house in Danvers, Massachusetts that once served as a tavern during the Salem Witch Trials. The tavern is a Colonial-style clapboard house located on Hobart Street. The oldest part of the house was built in 1670 for Nathaniel Ingersoll, lieutenant…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Witch House is an iconic First-Period house in Salem, Massachusetts, with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials. It was the home of Jonathan Corwin who was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials. Despite the fact that I go to Salem often and have walked past the Witch…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Salem is a historic town in Massachusetts. The area was home to native people for thousands of years before being settled by the Massachusetts Bay colonists in the 17th century. Salem is most famous for the being the site of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 but also has a…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Bartholomew Gedney was one of the judges during the Salem Witch Trials. Gedney was also a physician, town selectman, ship carpenter, merchant and a colonel in the Essex County militia. Gedney was born to John Gedney in Salem on June 14, 1640. Gedney married Hannah Clark in 1662 and had…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Gedney House and Cox House are historic houses on High Street in Salem, Massachusetts. They are located on the same plot of land, which was originally owned by the Gedney family. Built in 1665 for Salem shipwright Eleazor Gedney, the Gedney House is a 2-story Federal-style clapboard house with…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Wilmot Redd (also known as Wilmot Read and Wilmot Reed) was a woman from Marblehead who was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Redd was the only person from Marblehead who was tried in the Salem Witch Trials. Wilmot Redd was married to a fisherman named Samuel Redd…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Old Burial Hill is a historic cemetery in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Established in 1638, it is a 4.5-acre cemetery with 991 headstones. The cemetery is located on a small hill on Pond Street, which was also the site of the town's first meetinghouse. The main entrance to the cemetery is located…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Village Parsonage archaeological site is the location of the Salem Village parsonage during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The parsonage is where Reverend Samuel Parris, his wife Elizabeth Parris, their three children, including daughter Betty Parris, their niece Abigail Williams and their slaves, Tituba and John Indian,…| History of Massachusetts Blog